Automatic feeding apparatus for strip material



April 4, 1950 E. M. ERIKSEN 2,503,035

AUTOMATIC FEEDING APPARATUS FOR STRIP MATERIAL Filed Aug. 8, 1946 2Shets-Sheet 1 I IV VE N TOR [/Mqk Adv/mm; [RI/(SEN BVMWFM A T TO/PNEApril 4, 1950 M. ERIKSEN AUTOMATIC FEEDING APPARATUS FOR STRIP MATERIAL.Filed Aug. 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 En 37 H I a g r l I g: 150 17;: :F:13 u H37 7 91" 1.1

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Patented Apr. 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC FEEDINGAPPARATUS FOR STRIP MATERIAL 'Einar .Marinius Eriksen, Oslo, Norway,assignor to A/ S 'Rull 'Trykk Industri, Oslo, Norway Application August8,, 1946, Serial No. 689,244 In-Norway January 1,1942

Section '1, Public 'Law 690, August .8, 1946 Patent expires January 7,1962 the material to be treated or printed upon and a feeding member arearranged :on the said frame movably in a direction parallel to theturning axis of the frame in such a manner that the Web of material isfed forward in-this direction between the working :operations. Thefeeding member proper may consist of a slide which is movable alongguides longitudinally on the frame and has a clamping plate and'twoormore counter pressing members arranged in such. a manner, that the webof material is clamped between said members and the clamping plate.According to the invention the frame has two sets of :abutments, ofwhich the first :selt acts upon the clamping plate in order to .move itinto and lock it in clamping position by means of a locking device .atthe moment the slide arrives at the initial position for feeding duringthe motion of the feeding member and the printing plate away from the.counter printing plate (the type), whereas the other set of abutmentsacts upon a. releasing mechanism for the clamping plate, when the slideduring the opposite motion of the printing plate towards the type haseffected its forward .feeding of the :web :of :material through apredetermined distance. The first set of abutments may consist of astationary abutment on the machine frame and abutment pins or screwscooperating therewith, which are movable in the slide and attached tothe clamping plate and are under the influence of springs tending tomove the clamping plate back from clamping position. The second set ofabutments may consist of two pairs of abutments, onerabutment .in eachpair being attached adiustably on the carrying and guiding frame on theslide and the other one of each pair 'being attached to the lockingmember in question carried by the slide.

The second set of abutments may consist :of two pairs of abutments oneabutment in each pair being attached adjustably on the carrying andguiding frame of the slide .and the other one of each pair being:attached to the docking memher :inquestion .carried by the :slide.

When the abutments iof each pair which is carried by the slide duringthe feeding motion of theslide for pulling forward the web of materialpass by the respective abutments attached to the frame, "they are causedto move and .to withdraw the locking members of the clamping plate so asto release said plate.

Besides, the invention comprises different features, which wiliappearfrom :the following.

An embodiment of :the invention destined especially for platen pressesis shown in the draw ing, wherein Figure l isan end view of the feedingapparatus the left half being seen from the line (2-19 and the righthalf being across section on the line Figure 2. Figure 2 is a view ofthe feeding apparatus from :below (direction A in Fig. l)

Fig. 3 shows a similar underside view as a continuation :of Fig. 2.

'Fig. 4 shows a detail view of Fig. 1 drawn to a larger scale.

Numeral I refers to a platform, which carries the type matter or theprinting blocks, which make impression upon a printing plate 3 shown inFig. 3, both of them swinging to and fro about a-shaft 2.

' As mentioned above, the feeding apparatus is arranged before theprinting plate, a storage roller for the endless material being arrangedat one side to receive the impression from the-type matter. From thisstorage roller the material (usually paper) is passed over a roller t(Fig. 3) and from the same is 'bent under the printing plate 3 on to theunderside :of the feeding apparatus proper (Fig. 2), viz, under aclamping plate 3 on same (see also Fig. 1 further over a roller 4 andfinally up on the upper side of the feeding apparatus .to a Winding-uproller, which is fastened between two discs 5 on a shaft 6, the rollerbeing pushed in between two tapered projections :or hubs 1 in the centerof these discs. The discs 5 maybe adjustable along the shaft 6,according to the position of the web of material to be printed upon, andalso according to the width -'of the web of the material. The saidstorage :roller is arranged on the upper side of the printing platesimilar to the winding-up roller, the numerals iigt', l in Fig. 3correspond ing to 5, 6, 1 in Fig. 2.

The problem is now to feed the web of the material forward into printingposition under the printing plate 3 just before th printing plate swingsdownwards in thedirection of the arrow 8 in Figure '1 against theplatform i in order to receive the impression from the type. Asmentioned, this swinging takes place about the 3 axis of the shaft 2.After the impression having been made, the printing plate 3 and also thefeeding apparatus swing up again into upper position opposite the arrowdirection 8.

The feeding forward of the web of the material takes place by means of ascrew 9, best seen in Figure 2 to which, and a rotatin motion back andforward is imparted by means of a chain wheel ll], which is arranged ona short shaft 3! of a gear wheel 35 meshing with a gear 36 on the end ofthe screwshaft and which cooperates with a chain H, whose one end at E2is fastened to a stationary projection l3 on the machine frame, fromwhere it passes in a bight around and in engagement with a portion ofthe chain wheel I0, and then passes outwards and is connected to itsother end ill with one end of a helical spring l5, whose other end isattached to a stationary point in the frame (not shown).

As will be seen, the chain wheel H3 receives a motion in one direction(clockwise), when the feeding apparatus swings outwards opposite thearrow 8, whereas the wheel ill receives its motion in oppositedirection, when the apparatus swings back in arrow direction 3. Thisrotating motion back and forward imparted to the wheel will also betransferred to the screw 9, and it is utilized by mean of a nut 9, whichsurrounds and is in engagement with the screw threads and is connectedwith a slide IE, to move same rectilinearly to and fro, said slideserving to pull forward the paper. This slide with end portions 24, 25is movabl on two bars ll along guides i? in the rectangular frame iii ofthe feeding apparatus and is seen in end View in Figure 1. In this slidethe clamping plate 3 is journaled movably in a direction perpendicularlyto the plane of the frame l8, consequently in the direction of the arrowA in Figure 1.

The clamping plate 3 is fixed to guiding pins 59, which are passedthrough the slide it and project up on its upper side in form of screwheads 20, as shown in Figure 1. Between these screw heads and the topside of the slide com pression springs 21 are inserted, which surroundthe pins 59, constantly tend to move the clamping plate 3 in thedirection of the arrow Aconsequently rather upwards in Figure 1.

However, when the feeding apparatus and the printing plate swing out(opposite the arrow 8), the screw heads 20 will meet a stationaryabutment 23 on th machine frame, and thereby will be held stationary, sothat the screw heads 20 are pressed downwards relatively to the slideand thereby compress the springs 2i and press simultaneously theclamping plate 3 downwards, so that its edge passes by a locking devicein form of shutting bars 23, as shown best in Figures 1 and 4. Thesebars 23 are movable in the plane of the frame It guided in the portions24 and 25 of the slide l6, and are each under the influence of a spring26, one end of which engages the portion 25 and the other end of whichpresses against a small disc 27? attached on the shutting bars 23, sothat these bars by the springs 26 tend to be pressed inwards towards thecentre of the slide 6. The said edges of the clamping plate 3 areinclined, and the inner end of the shutting bars 23 are also inclined,as is clearly seen from Figure 4.

Assuming that the clamping plate 3 is in its upper most position withits inclined edges above the bars 23 and is pressed down by means of theabutment 22 and the screw heads 20, it will be able, owing to the saidinclinations, to move down past the shutting bars 23, and as soon asthis has taken place, the bars will snap in over the upper side of theclamping plate and lock it fixedly in this position as shown in Figure1.

Now the underside of the clamping plate 3 now cooperates with a row ofresiliently yielding counter pressing members, each of which has theform of a head 28 on the upper end of a pin 29 movable up and down inholes in the slide i6. Each pin 29 is actuated by a spring 30 tending topress it upwards in the direction of the clamping plate 3.

In this manner one has a set of abutments, viz. the clamping plate 3 andthe pin heads 28. Between the underside of the clamping plate on oneside and the pin heads 28 on the other side the web of the material ispassed forwards (direction 3!, Fig. 2) by the feeding apparatus, whenthe slide i6 is moved in the arrow direction 3| in Figure 2. The paperor material is then clamped fast between 3 and 28 and is pulled alongforwards during the motion of the slide driven by the screw 9 from thechain wheel Hi and chain H.

As soon as the slide during its motion in the arrow direction 3i haspulled the material forward through a distance determined in each case(the size of which depends upon the type on the platform I), theclamping plate 3 has to lose its grip on the paper, so that the slidemay move further in the arrow direction 3! to the end of its travel inthe frame I8 without taking the paper along with it. In the arrowdirection 3| the clamping plate 3 must therefore be released from theclamping positionconsequently from the shutting bars 23--so that bymeans of the springs 2 I it may snap up into its upper position andthereby free the paper. This release or motion of the shutting bars 23outwards from the slide centre takes place by a second set of abutments,consisting of two member pairs 32, 33. Each member 32 is an upwardlydirected projection 32, on the exterior end of each bar 23, and each ofthe other members is a downwardly directed abutment 33 attachedlongitudinally adjustably on the exterior portion of the frame H3. Theabutments 33 may be adjusted along the frame l8 and clamped fast inslots 34 by screws or the like in such a position that the clampingplate frees the paper, when it has been fed forwards in direction 3|through the length determined in each case.

The abutments 32 are now in such a position relatively to the stationaryabutments 33, that they will meet the latter and slide past the same,when the slide !6 has reached forward to the definite position duringits travel along the frame I8.

When this takes place, the abutments 33 will force the abutments 32outwards, whereby the shutting bars 23 are pulled out from the slidecentre so as to release the clamping plate 3, whereby the feedingforward of the paper ceases.

After the release of the pressure plate 3, the

slide It as mentioned will move further to the end of its travel in thearrow direction 3i, which takes place during the motion of the feedingapparatus outwards opposite the arrow direction 8. When then theapparatus moves back again, the slide it is also passed back oppositethe arrow direction 3! to the initial position of its travel, and duringthis motion the abutments 32 will move past the abutments 33 without ithaving any influence upon the clamping devices 3, 28.

As mentioned above, a row of counter pressing members 28 in the slide isused. The purpose is to be able to make use of two or more of thesemembers depending upon the transverse position of th longitudinalportion and upon the width of the paper web which has to receiveimpression from the type. 'For this purpose each of the members 28 maybe set outof operation by being depressed and held fast in depressedposition by simple'means not shown. Only the counter pressing members 28are placed in operation which on either side of the centre line of thepaper are located outside the impressed longitudinal portion of thepaper, in order to avoid the risk of the members 3 and 28 erasing theimpressions or making them unclear by contacting with it.

According as the paper is passed forward by the slide 16, it has to hewound up on the roll, which is journaled between the plates 5. Thereforethe shaft '6 simultaneously with the motion of the plate 16 must receivea rotation in the correct direction. This takes place by a gearing fromthe shaft of the screw 9.

On the shaft 31 of the chain wheel 10 a .pulley 38 is keyed, which overa belt 39 is connected with another pulley 40 on a longitudinal shaft 4|resting in bearings 42 on the side of the frame I8 parallel to the screw9, but somewhat higher than same, as is seen in Figure 1.

The bearings 18 are attached to a plate or bracket 43, suitably made ofwood with lateral mountings attached on the upper side of the frame 18,as indicated in Figure 1. The bracket 43 is not seen in Figure 2. Itforms a bearing for one end of the shaft 6, which in the other end ispreferably arranged freely. The shaft 4| is provided with a bevel wheel44 in gear with another bevel wheel 45 moving idly on the end of theshaft 6. The wheel 45 is in suitable manner connected fixedly with anarm 46, which also is arranged idly on .the shaft 6,, and whose exteriorend carries a pawl 4'! in gear with a ratchet wheel 48, which is keyedto the shaft 6.

Thus it will be seen, that the rotation of the wheel II] is transferredto the shaft 6 through the members 31, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 45, 46, 41and 48, so that the shaft 6 will move simultaneously with the screw 9 inalternating directions. Thereby the winding roller on shaft 6 is rotatedand will wind up the paper according as it is passed forward by means ofthe slide I6.

However, the winding roller has not to pull the paper further forwardafter having fed it forward through the determined distance by means ofthe slide It. In order to obtain this, a slide coupling must be arrangedat some place in the mechanical connection between the wheel and theshaft 6. This may be obtained in the simplest manner by the belt 39sliding on one of the discs 38 or 49 by its tension being so regulated,that the belt cannot overcome the resistance which is executed by thepaper web against the pulling off from the storage roll on shaft 6. Asthe transfer to the shaft 6 takes place by the pawl mechanism 41, 48,the shaft 6 is also driven only in this direction, because the pawl willslide over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 48 during the motion in theother direction.

The slip coupling, however, may also be arranged at other places, forinstance in the ratchet wheel 48 itself.

The described mechanism with the necessary eventual alterations may ofcourse be used also in other machines than platen presses, such asmentioned in the preamble of this description.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for automatic stepwise feeding a web of material tobe subjected to treat ment in a machine provided with an operatingmember, the combination of such operating memher and a counter pressingplate for same with a frame connected with said plate and movable to andfro perpendicularly to an axis, means on said frame for carrying the Webso as to enable its feeding forwardly in steps to between the op eratingmember and the counter pressing plate, a feeding member, arranged onsaid frame so as to be movable to and fro .in feeding direction parallelwith said axis, means for moving the feeding member, a clamping memberarranged on the feeding member movabl'y in a direction perpendicularlyto the feeding member and to the feeding direction, counter pressingpartsarranged movably on the feeding member so as to coopers ate withthe clamping member to clamp the web therebetweem' two pairs ofabutments one for moving the clamping member against its counterpressing parts into a position for clamping the web and another forreleasing their clamping op erat-ion, the two abutments in the firstpair being arranged stationarily on the machine and on the framerespectively so as to cooperate and move the clamping member intoclamping positionduring the moving back of the frame with parts carriedthereby in a direction from the operating member and the tWo abutmentsof the second pair being arranged on the feeding member and on the framerespectively for releasing the clamping member at the end of the feedingmotion.

2. An apparatus as set forth iii-claim 1, wherein the first pair ofabutments comprises a stationary abutment on the machine frame and poststo operating therewith and movable in the feeding member so as to movethe clamping member into clamping position.

3. An apparatus asset forth iii-claim 1-, wherein the first pair ofabutments comprises a stationary abutment on the machine frame andspringpressed ports cooperating therewith and movable in the feedingmember so as to move the clamping member against the spring action intoclamping position, so that the springs tend to move the clamping memberback from said position.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein releasable lockingmembers are arranged to retain the clamping member in clamping positionand are so combined with the abutment on the feeding member as to bereleased from locking position by said abutment and thereby to releasethe clamping member at the end of the feeding motion.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein releasable lockingmembers in form of springpressed shutting bars are arranged to retainthe clamping member in clamping position and are so combined with theabutment on the feeding member as to be released from looking positionby said abutment and thereby to release the clamping member at'the endof the feeding motion.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein means is provided foradjustment of the abutment on the frame in the feeding direction forvarying the length of the feeding motion.

'7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the counter pressingparts are in the form of resiliently yielding pins in the feedingmember, said pins being adapted to be brought into or out of operationso as to be caused to press against the web only on portions of samewhich are not operated upon by the operating member.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, where,-

in an endless screw is carried rotatably by the frame with its axisparallel with the feeding direction, a nut surrounding the screw andconnected with the feeding member and means for rotating the screw inone direction and in another direction according to the moving directionof the feeding member so as to move said member to and fro.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an endless screw iscarried rotatably by the frame with its axis parallel with the feedingdirection, a nut surrounding the screw and connected with the feedingmember, a chain wheel connected to the screw, a chain engaging the chainwheel and attached in one end fixedly to the machine frame and in itsother end attached yieldingly to the machine frame so as to rotate thescrew during the motion to and fro of the movable carrying frame in onedirection and in another direction according to the moving direction ofthe feeding member so as to move said member to and fro.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an endless screw iscarried rotatably by the frame with its axis parallel with the feedingdirection, a nut surrounding the screw and connected with the feedingmember and means for rotating the screw in one direction and in anotherdirection according to the moving direction of the feeding member so asto move said member to and fro, a winding-up roll for the web carried bythe screw carrying frame, driving parts for rotating the roll inwinding-up direction and arranged between the screw rotating means andthe roll and including a slide coupling yielding as soon as the webduring the motion of the frame towards the operating member has been fedforwards so much as corresponds to the forward feeding length of theweb.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an endless screw iscarried rotatably by the frame with its axis parallel with the feedingdirection, a nut surrounding the screw and connected with the feedingmember and means for rotating the screw in one direction and in anotherdirection according to the moving direction of the feeding member so asto move said member to and fro, a winding-up roll for the web carried bythe screw carrying frame, driving parts for rotating the roll inwinding-up direction and arranged between the screw rotating means andthe roll and including a slide coupling and a pawl-mechanism, alongitudinal shaft for driving the said mechanism, a pulley arranged inoperative connection with the means for rotating the screw, a secondpulley attached to th said shaft, a belt connecting both pulleys, and abevel wheel gearing arranged between the shaft and the pawl-mechanism,said slide coupling being adapted to yield as soon as the web during themotion of the frame towards "the operating member has been fed forwardsso much as corresponds to the forward feeding length of the web.

EINAR MARINIUS ERIKSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 458,904 Jacobs Sept. 1, 1891572,793 Goddard Dec. 8, 1896 830,766 Bruckman Sept. 11, 1906 1,260,967Chapman Mar. 26, 1918 1,765,414 Fulk June 24, 1930

